


cohabitation

by ficfucker



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26638741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficfucker/pseuds/ficfucker
Summary: mordecai takes a moment to look around his flat
Relationships: Brick/Mordecai (Borderlands)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	cohabitation

**Author's Note:**

> just wanted to write something sofffft
> 
> set at the start of mordecai's sobriety, before he gets talon

Mordecai clicks the door shut with the edge of his boot. His flat is dim, a stark contrast from the brightness of the outside world, and he takes a second to blink. Even with the aid of his goggles, things blur.

"Brick?"

"In the bedroom!"

Mordecai sets the sack of groceries down on the counter. There isn't so much a dining area in the kitchen; just room enough to fit a standard table and a couple chairs. Not stolen Hyperion brand chairs, either, but the real deal; wood and metal.

Beyond this is a couch, best condition Mordecai could scavenge. A red and white baja rug tossed beneath it.

Half assed attempt at design.

Not an easy task for Mordecai given his color blindness and general lack of concern when it came to home aesthetics.

He sits at the table and brings his left leg up over his right thigh, begins to unlace his boots. Given this idle time, he looks the place over.

Separating the bedroom from the open area living room is one of Brick's Slab Gang flags, pinned crudely to the doorframe. It's worn ragged, ripped in some parts, but once again, Mordecai isn't much for decor. Brick was proud of himself over the idea, to make it a sort of privacy curtain when they first started sharing the flat.

Whatever makes Brick happy…

Next to the couch is a small side table, which has come to throne a native Pandorian plant. Something leafy and green which only blooms occasionally during the day that Brick has been keen on tending. Mordecai can't tell on his own, but Brick says the blooms are so blue they're almost purple, and speckled white.

Mordecai has very few personal belongings to leave around the house. One of his older rifles is hung on the farthest wall, set so it aligns with the shoulders of the couch. The butt is all scarred up with notches, tallies of successful kills. When it got to looking like some display of abstract art, Mordecai knew to call it a day. Not a lot of guns truly held sentimental value, Pandora always had better and bigger to offer, but this rifle in particular… Mordecai just didn't want to part with it.

Mordecai clunks one boot down, moves his gaze to the kitchenette.

Cans of skag meat and gravy on the counter. Powdered meal packages. A random handful of nuts and bolts tossed carelessly. A three pound sack of sunflower seeds.

The one distinct and purposeful item among this is a vase, slightly cracked. Stuck into it are some of Bloodwing's feathers, collected by Mordecai during molting seasons. A small shrine to her, a gesture to keep her here with him.

On the front of the fridge, only two things are hung. One is a photo of Tina and Roland, put up by Brick who managed to get a copy. The other is a scrap of yellow, lined paper, scrawled with a couple rows of Mordecai's chicken scratch writing.

_After tonight, no more drinking. Mean that. Quit the booze before you lose someone else. Act your age. — Drunk Mordecai_

Once again, framed by magnets at the insistence of Brick, who found the note, though sad in its truthfulness, to be a promising declaration of self control. Mordecai had left it around HQ, not even remembering writing it during his stupor, and Brick got ahold of it. It was kept in his vest pocket until he moved in.

Part of Mordecai finds it to be an eye sore. A constant reminder of how bad it could get. A constant reminder of how badly he wanted to drink. But it keeps him leashed. Thus far, he's found no strength to defy what he'd written, not with it always looking back at him.

Mordecai removes his other boot and stands, goes to set them politely by the door. Brick's are placed there already, large and menacing with the jagged bits of metal teething from the toes. Mordecai sets his beside Brick's and pauses to consider everything he's just made note of.

This sad little apartment, sparsely decorated or furnished, the average place in sanctuary, made safe and special by the sentiments of each object. The water color ease at which Brick's items are mixed with Mordecai's items. Overlapping memories.

Mordecai's starting to feel equal parts emotional and stupid for being emotional when Brick comes in from the bedroom. He's dressed down in a tank top and blue jeans. He smiles, says, "Gonna need another pull up bar in there."

Mordecai snorts, pulled away from his moment. "Don't tell me you already broke this one."

Brick shrugs and goes to poke around at what Mordecai's brought home. "Can feel the metal startin' to bow," he says simply. "Ain't my fault. Should be stronger metals available or somethin'."

Given the limited space, there's not much room for Brick to work out. Mordecai's made some accommodations, though, such as the pull up bar in the bedroom. Really just a rod screwed into the doorframe of the postage stamp closet, but Brick utilizes it at every opportunity. Push-ups and crunches were done with the couch pushed out of the way.

Brick's still rustling around in the bags when Mordecai goes over to him. He wraps his arms around Brick's waist and leans his cheek to his muscled back.

One of Brick's hands goes over both of Mordecai's where they rest above his belt buckle, a reaction as natural as breathing. "What's got you all touchy-feely?"

" _Cállate_ ," Mordecai mutters.

Brick exhales a laugh, not expecting an answer or explanation. He's certainly not complaining. Gentle as he can, he peels Mordecai's hands away and turns around so they're chest to chest. The hug resumes without pause. Brick places his hand to Mordecai's shoulders, able to cover both shoulder blades with one palm.

"Tina invited us over tonight," Brick says.

"Tell her yes?"

"Course I did. Needs us in her life."

It's true. Mordecai isn't fond of children, but he's willing to treat them with a general kindness. Sit and suffer through the tea parties and board games because he knows it's a vital part of cultivating a happy child; interaction and stimulation and concern, all the things Mordecai grew up without.

Mordecai hums his agreement.

Tina's dropped some not so subtle hints about Brick and Mordecai coming to stay with her long term. Means a lot coming from her, half psycho girl won't think twice about telling a merc to " _fuck outta her face, son_ " as soon as jobs run dry. Brick and Mordecai haven't given any solid answers yet, though they have had a few discussions alone in bed after long days. Moving wouldn't be so bad. Not much to pack up.

"Never seen you so quiet," Brick rumbles.

"Got a lot of thoughts. You ever tried that before? Keeping quiet and considerin' things?"

Brick gives a squeeze. "Nope! Got somethin' to deal with, my fists do the talking."

Mordecai laughs at that and he angles his face up, wrapping his arms around Brick's stocky neck. He cranes to his tip toes and Brick knows enough to close the gap, but not before Mordecai lovingly murmurs, " _Loco_ …"

" _Te quiero_."

Mordecai smiles, a genuine smile. Brick hasn't picked up a lot of Spanish yet, but that's one line the brute learned fast.

Mordecai places a slender hand to Brick's face, cradles him with his trigger-calloused fingers. " _También te quiero, mi vida_."

**Author's Note:**

> uhhhh yeah! thank you for reading
> 
> also idk where else to put this so i guess it's a footnote but ive had the idea of brick, set in 1, trying to adopt a skag stuck in my head for days! like, gets to fyrestone with the others and he's like "oh these are dog-like i could definitely domesticate one" and he tries sneaking a pup in to the rented place he's sharing with the others and they all scold him and tell him to get rid of the damn thing and eventually mordecai softens just a tad and when he and brick get a moment together, is like "hey, man, i get it... i love animals too, but a skag ain't it" and yeah


End file.
